well 'njpg' is pretty selective with his 5 star ratings. Also liked the other reviewers comments.
Somewhere in the First Set 'El Paso' and the sound is all over the place but generally very good vocally. Big exception intro Loser but that could have been from the stage?
Anyway, the general affect of this show is to be pulled in by it. There are great Phil riffs, clean drumming. Garcia and Weir ripping it up!
The freakin' Bird Songs from this era are so fat and psychedelic.They remind me in a weird way of that BEE SONG with the girl in the Bee Costume, I know that brother died prematurely. "All I can say, My life is pretty strange, i like watching the flowers, gather rain"
Sweet jam in Bird Song. The transition this song made over the years. By the 1980's it was just a launch vehicle for Garcia. Here it is pretty thick almost like it is a Phil tune.
"Tell me all that you know
and i will show you
Snow and Rain"
A full 10 minute Bird Song!!!
Donna Jean not on every tune in 72
but just check PITB to see if she was in the house.
The jam in PLAYING is dripping psychedelia and here is where the sound really shines because I can follow Keith as he shows his chops.
The PITB can be longer in 1973 and were of course embryonic and compact in 1971 but wow this is intense and this P.I.T.B is 16 minutes
Casey Jones-Funny one of the coolest Dead tunes and it hardly ever come up in the 80's and 90's. In fact while I was going to shows I think they played it a few times and I missed them all.
Perhaps It was almost like waving a Red Cape in the direction of the D.E.A.
Also noticed with Casey Jones it did not seem to be a tune the band felt real comfortable segueing in and out of. It almost always opens, closes, ends, encores. ie- stands alone.
Yet, it is arguable for those of us who grew up listening to AOR rock stations the tune the Dead were famous for.
Might be a cut or lyric issue but overall this is a tight version and you get the feel for what a demanding tune this was for the boys to render.
Set 2- Greatest Story in 1972
is a high ethanol concoction.
He's Gone-> Truckin'-> Drums->Other One-> Stella,
(Note: I like hearing Donna navigating her way thru the He's Gone even before the ensemble singing)
Do you prefer He's Gone>Truckin
or Truckin>He's Gone ?
I guess it has to depend on the night but if you think about those two songs occur an awful lot together yet I am never totally expecting one when i hear the other.
China Cat>99.9% Rider,
Scarlet post 1977 >99.5% Fire was next.
Estimated after 1977> 85% here comes EYES.
But Truckin>He's Gone. or He's Gone> Truckin'
-I would say not a high certainty of them being paired. or which order they would be paired or on which song that might linger or where they might jam in one tune , the transition, the second tune, the transition out of the second tune. and not to mention the chance of drums being thrown in every once in awhile. Here there is a drumz from Bill after the outro of Truckin' which then heads off into a furious Other One. There is something about the intensity of the jamming of 1972, it has a little more of that meltdown feel of 67-70. That free-wheeling chaos of just a million things happening all at once but everything being perfectly in tune.
By 1973 to my ears the sound gets a more mellowed vibe to it almost like yeah the world is going off the deep end but we are just kicking back for as long it takes until we get off collectively. With tunes like Here Comes Sunshine, WRS and other tunes from the flood era.
Wrote that all during the jam in the Other One---man that is smoking hot! I like how Phil is leading the charge with the bass licks, If one listens carefully there are moments of sheer free form about 12 minutes in with Phil alone still leading the Other One charge. and they finally all head instrumentally for the Weir's 'lily field' 15:20 seconds in.
Wow that is potent!
Stella Blue-Many of the best Dead tunes in the later years were Garcia's ballads. (But I have to say the attention span of some Heads was thin. Why would anyone want to yell anything during Stella?)
To me I was absolutely mesmerized by Garcia during his ballads. ( perhaps that is why I ended up gravitated toward JGB before it all went South)
Garcia's acapella vocals on Stella are so very sweet--just adding to that over the top feeling I get listening to this recording.
(in the 80's or 90's we are all grabbing our stuff -but the night is young in 1972)
Big River-The Dead had to impress with their version of Big River. I am sure that any man in a Cowboy Hat or any sister in Cowgirl boots had to be laid low by the Dead's boogie woogie.
Ramble On Rose- Heard off Europe 72 and was hooked. (It seemed clunky at times when they played it live-- kinda how JED could be somewhat of a goof fest especially if their were blown lyrics) but here in 72 this just kills.
Just a thought but i like hearing Phil dropping in the back-up vocals when he is so inclined.
Sugar Magnolia always a treat live. (I don't ever remember leaving a show when Sugar Magnolia got played and not just having a little extra warmth to my smile.) ---Another thing I will say for the later era they left us a hanging for what seemed like an eternity before landing the Sunshine Daydream.
I would make the case that everything after Sunshine Daydream is encore mode
and very sweet at that especially that BROKEDOWN.
Around, Sat Night-kick some major Honky Tonk!!!
E) UJB-You have until the end of this tune to pull it together enough to head on out of here. STARTING NOW! La, La, La ,La . La. La
Really Uncle John's is probably a way better anthem song of being a Deadhead but by no means universally known and appreciated.
"I beg you call the tune"

Yep, this one kicks ass too.

Clue 1: See the names????
David Gans and Charlie Miller
Clue 2: See the Date????
Fall of 1972
You shouldn't need more clues than that.
This is a huge upgrade in sound over prior versions. The show is just excellent -- one of the best from the Fall of 1972 tour.
For those who can't add things up, you want this one-- Badly.
Too much good to describe succinctly, but I would note one thing. In a tour with the absolute best "He's Gone" this one stands right at the pinnacle -- 10/24 and 9/28 with it, but perhaps just a whisker below. I wouldn't have said that until listening to this Gans/Miller version, but the tones, the tones . . . .

Yet another great mix from what I think is without a doubt one of the best years for the Grateful Dead. Playin' is strong, and The Other One is just full of a calm intensity. In He's Gone, the band just comes together so well for the jam. This is definitely one I will come back to again.